JAM Magazine: August/September 1999 Issue: First Take

by Mike Metheny
JAM Editor

Muckraking Into the Wind for Distance
The other day I came across a wrinkled old piece of writing that was seen by all of about 12 people back in '94. It was composed for a short-lived local publication called Nite Lite and was my way of conceding the non-impact of occasional forays into the messy world of would-be muckraking and satirical criticism.

The gist of that essay was how futile it can be to write about "life's many follies, irritants and anomalies," at least from the vantage point of "one microscopic, self-inflated voice in a relatively small market." Now, in the wake of the June/July JAM, I have that same foul taste in my mouth all over again.

A certain amount of the Jazz Ambassadors' valuable ink was used last time to take Pitch Weekly to task for some jazz-related goofs and a music awards show with a dumb name. Will such critiques cause Pitch to become more jazz-savvy and less out of touch? Unlikely. Will Pitch ever change the name of "The Klammies" to something less insulting to jazz and classical musicians? Only when I make it through an entire gig without splattering multiple clams all about the club. Which is even more unlikely.

So, the question then becomes: should the official publication of an organization "dedicated to the development and promotion of Kansas City jazz" even bother to react when the local jazz scene is compromised by high profile innocence and error? It's a tough call.

The whole purpose of such criticism -- as pointless as it may seem -- is to identify flaws with the hope of making things better. Members of the Kansas City jazz community deserve more than they've been getting in the alternative press, and they should be able to feel a certain respect for the coverage the music does receive, especially when it involves the most widely read weekly newspaper in a city known for jazz.

Thing is, when the criticism comes from a lone voice in the wilderness, it's easy to conclude that everyone else is cool with the status quo, and that upgrading sensibilities just isn't a priority, even for those in the know. "Think it's jive here, Mr. Smarty Pants? Then get your righteous derrière back out to the east coast. We're happy with things just the way they are."

Question: why should places like Boston and New York have a monopoly on hipness? Aren't there plenty of knowledgeable jazz aficionados right here in the Midwest? (Yes. There are.) And shouldn't there be a shared concern that a publication like Pitch might not be serving the greater good of Kansas City jazz?

Or so asks that lone voice in wilderness.

Which brings us back to the wind. And distance.

Leave it to jazz cornetist Gary Sivils to coin a phrase like, "You're peeing into the wind for distance!" Only a great quipster like Sivils could assess with such humor the efforts of someone who tends to fight losing battles with such frequency and determination. ...And who still longs for major league weeklies like The Village Voice and The Boston Phoenix for a level of jazz coverage (and awareness) that clearly doesn't concern the current regime at Pitch.

So, standing behind the pee-er might not be such a good idea after all. The wind is indeed strong, and distance is out of the question.

That is unless you have a strong umbrella, a genuine passion for jazz, and a desire to see Kansas City taken seriously as a first tier cultural hub.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"Life is a shipwreck. But we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." -- Voltaire

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		by Mike Metheny JAM Editor Muckraking Into the Wind for Distance The other day I came across a wrinkled old piece of writing that was seen by all of about 12 people back in '94. It was composed for a short-lived local publication called Nite Lite and was my way of conceding the non-impact of occasional forays into the messy world of would-be muckraking and satirical criticism. The gist of that essay was how futile it can be to write about "life's many follies, irritants and anomalies," at least from the vantage point of "one microscopic, self-inflated voice in a relatively small market." Now, in the wake of the June/July JAM, I have that same foul taste in my mouth all over again. A certain amount of the Jazz Ambassadors' valuable ink was used last time to take Pitch Weekly to task for some jazz-related goofs and a music awards show with a dumb name. Will such critiques cause Pitch to become more jazz-savvy and less out of touch? Unlikely. Will Pitch ever change the name of "The Klammies" to something less insulting to jazz and classical musicians? Only when I make it through an entire gig without splattering multiple clams all about the club. Which is even more unlikely. So, the question then becomes: should the official publication of an organization "dedicated to the development and promotion of Kansas City jazz" even bother to react when the local jazz scene is compromised by high profile innocence and error? It's a tough call. The whole purpose of such criticism -- as pointless as it may seem -- is to identify flaws with the hope of making things better. Members of the Kansas City jazz community deserve more than they've been getting in the alternative press, and they should be able to feel a certain respect for the coverage the music does receive, especially when it involves the most widely read weekly newspaper in a city known for jazz. Thing is, when the criticism comes from a lone voice in the wilderness, it's easy to conclude that everyone else is cool with the status quo, and that upgrading sensibilities just isn't a priority, even for those in the know. "Think it's jive here, Mr. Smarty Pants? Then get your righteous derrière back out to the east coast. We're happy with things just the way they are." Question: why should places like Boston and New York have a monopoly on hipness? Aren't there plenty of knowledgeable jazz aficionados right here in the Midwest? (Yes. There are.) And shouldn't there be a shared concern that a publication like Pitch might not be serving the greater good of Kansas City jazz? Or so asks that lone voice in wilderness. Which brings us back to the wind. And distance. Leave it to jazz cornetist Gary Sivils to coin a phrase like, "You're peeing into the wind for distance!" Only a great quipster like Sivils could assess with such humor the efforts of someone who tends to fight losing battles with such frequency and determination. ...And who still longs for major league weeklies like The Village Voice and The Boston Phoenix for a level of jazz coverage (and awareness) that clearly doesn't concern the current regime at Pitch. So, standing behind the pee-er might not be such a good idea after all. The wind is indeed strong, and distance is out of the question. That is unless you have a strong umbrella, a genuine passion for jazz, and a desire to see Kansas City taken seriously as a first tier cultural hub. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY "Life is a shipwreck. But we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats." -- Voltaire RETURN TO AUGUST 1999 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.